


Count down

by Naumaxia



Category: Naruto
Genre: But that was not intentional, Icha Icha Series, KakaGai - Freeform, M/M, Sort of narusaku if you squint, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmates AU, Which Btw is basically a giant pompom, also narusasu if you squint, confused lil cuties, fluffier than my rabbit, the gayness is cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 00:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13776048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naumaxia/pseuds/Naumaxia
Summary: Basically soulmate au with watches which count down to the moment your eyes meet theirs. And lotsa KakaGai of course :)





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> o anyone who read my kakashi timefix whatchamacallit, I am still continuing that, it’s just been... slow progress. I’ll get there I promise (inspired by http://archiveofourown.org/works/13000212)

The clock was ticking down.  
One second at a time.  
Tick tock.  
Tick tock.  
As the four year old Kakashi stepped into his school room for the millionth time he thought nothing of it. He had never been that interested in the stopwatch slowly counting down on his wrist. No, he was much more preoccupied with graduating and getting out of this class of ultimate boredom. He took a quick glance around the room, a couple of late additions to the year had shown up that day, then sighed realising he didn’t care much either way about who the new kids were. Some girl with plain brown braids; a boy with spiky ginger hair; another girl who had hair so bright red he figured she might possibly be an Uzumaki; a boy with an extremely dodgy bowl cut and bushy eyebrows; and some other person hidden behind a big fur hood. He cared little about any of them though, as a late admission to the academy wasn’t ever going to make it past Genin level so they were hardly his concern.  
An hour later, in the middle of another boring and pointless theory lesson, he glanced down at the watch. It had stopped, and he sighed. The only new people he had seen since that morning were the new kids. He guessed one of those two girls must be the one, and as he thought about it in more detail, decided a civilian wife might not be so bad. The one with brown hair seemed prettier, but if the redhead was an Uzumaki then their offspring would hopefully inherit a more generous chakra supply than he himself had.  
These were the thoughts of the four year old Kakashi. Not suitable for a four year old really, but with genius minds also comes unpredictable thoughts and quirky moods. The thoughts of four year old Kakashi, whilst strange, were at least some of the more positive thoughts he was destined to think throughout his life.  
Exactly one year passed, and suddenly the watch on his arm no longer meant a thing. He did not hate it. He did not put any faith in it. Everything he had ever cared about was gone. Soul mates, what’s the point in them?

————————

Maito Gai was ecstatic! He had been admitted into the academy, after so long of trying and retrying he had finally been allowed in. Not only that, but his watch had only fifteen minutes left on it. He had watched it intently since the day his father had told him what it meant. The idea that it was counting down to the exact moment he looked into the eyes of the person he would spend the rest of his life with, was simply incredible. Today he was going to meet his soulmate! He was in the same class as his soulmate!  
To say he was nervous would be an understatement, as he looked from person to person in his class, greeting each enthusiastically and staring deeply into each of their eyes. He got some strange looks from some of them, and wondered if there was an eye infection of sorts going around. But he didn’t dwell on it too much. He half hoped that his soulmate would be pretty, or at least that she would have a nice personality. And be able to make curry! He couldn’t imagine falling in love with any girl who couldn’t make curry.  
Class was just about to start when the door opened and another boy walked in. The teacher scowled at the boy for his tardiness but said nothing. Gai was fairly certain he was a boy at least, but he seemed like he was almost too pretty for it. The child sat down and leant back, scanning the room with a superior look on his face. He glanced over each of the new students with brief distain, including Gai himself and for a millisecond their eyes met.  
Gai’s watch stopped and he took a deep breath.  
At first he was confused. It was supposed to be a girl right? Everyone else he knew had found a girl they were meant to love, so why was he so different? He considered looking it up somewhere or asking his dad, but he didn’t want to be even more weird and different than he already was. Maybe it was like a bond of friendship, many people didn’t have a soulmate, or had soulmates who died, maybe one of them might fall in love with him instead. No one had to know the truth. He could simply pretend he wasn’t sure who she was. Either way, he was strangely intrigued by the boy. What was so special about this boy that it made him different from everyone else? Did this boy even realise what had happened?  
Later that afternoon he walked up to the boy, whose silver hair hid his eyes, on his way into the classroom, determined that he could at least become this child’s friend and fulfil their bond.  
“Nice to meet you!” He exclaimed as the boy walked past. “I am Maito Gai!” The boy kept walking, strands of spiky silver hair moving softly in the still classroom air. A murmur diffused through the class, accompanied by a giggle from the majority of the girls. Apparently they liked pretty guys despite none of them being brave enough to look him in the eyes in the knowledge that their own watches still had many years left to run out on them. The boy sat down and began to neatly arrange the stationery on his desk.  
“Excuse me, my father says it is very rude to ignore someone when they greet you.” Gai said in a perfectly cheerful voice.  
“Get out of here.” The boy interjected. “I don’t care squat about drop outs or their fathers. Go back to your dumb civilian life and leave me be.” Gai frowned, but quickly corrected himself and smiled.  
“At least tell me your name!” He asked.  
“Kakashi Hatake,” Kakashi said. “I’m son of the White Fang and top student in this class. Now if you don’t mind I have lessons to not pay attention to.” He leant back and stuck his nose into a novel with a title far too complicated for Gai to even read. He felt frustrated all of a sudden, not sure why since surely he should enjoy spending time with his soulmate, but refused to let this kid get the better of him. He would make himself worthy of this boy even if he achieved nothing else in his ‘dumb civilian’ life.  
“Well Kakashi Hatake!” Gai declared gripping the edges of the desk as he stared fiercely into Kakashi’s eyes. “From this moment on we are rivals! For all eternity!” Kakashi scoffed at him and another murmur passed through the room and a couple of girls scrambled forward in an attempt to defend the boy. Someone knocked into Gai from behind and suddenly he felt himself crashing forwards, the pretty silver haired boy rushing towards him.  
Smack!  
Kakashi glared down at him, before pushing the boy of his desk with one backhanded slap. He then continued to glare at the small streak of blood across his desk.  
Gai slowly picked himself off the floor, pulling Kakashi’s pencil out of his bloody nose and glared back at his new rival.  
“You win this round!” He declared. “But do not fear, I will level the score in no time!”


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey,”   
“Hey,” The now seventeen year old Kakashi called over his shoulder to Tenzô who had just strolled into the Anbu locker room.   
“So did you hear?” Tenzô asked, “some idiotic chunin tried to join Anbu last week, apparently because of you.” The boy smiled at him with a bit of a glint in his eye. “Any idea what they could want?”  
“Not a clue.” Kakashi shrugged. “Can’t think of any reason someone would want to talk to me that bad. Probably some girl who’s clock is about to run out and doesn’t realise she can’t escape her own fate.”  
“Someone is confident!” Tenzô laughed. “Ever tried the principal of modesty out Senpai?”  
“Haha, very funny.” Kakashi rolled his eyes and leant back against his locker, hiding behind a book to show his fake annoyance.  
“Anyway it wasn’t a girl, some green buffoon.” Tenzô commented.  
“Ah, Gai.” Kakashi sighed. “Why am I not surprised? That idiot would probably jump off a cliff if I told him to. He really should think about recentering his life on someone else for a change.”  
Tenzô looked up at this, and a smile ghosted across his face. “Do you believe in the whole soulmate thing, Senpai?” Tenzô asked. “It’s always seemed a little too... unrealistic for me.”  
Kakashi considered this for a minute, glancing down at his watch. “But what would be the point in the watches otherwise? Although I do think they are a mere suggestion, I know plenty of people who have lived happily with someone other than their soulmate. Either way it seems a waste of time to stress over, I certainly don’t intend to ever settle down with someone like that.”  
“I guess so,” Tenzô shrugged and fumbled with his locker key for a little bit. They fell into companionable silence for a while, before Tenzô dared to break it. “So who’s your soulmate Senpai. I know your watch stopped long before you joined Anbu-“ He bit his words back suddenly. “Oh, I’m sorry... I think I can guess.”   
Kakashi laughed and shook his head. “No, it wasn’t Rin, although part of me wishes it had been, then I could have given her that much at least. I don’t actually know who mine is, wasn’t paying enough attention when it stopped, although I suspect if I asked around I could work it out.”  
“That’s so typical of you,” Tenzô laughed. “I suspect you’re right though. Always so popular.”  
“It’s not like I try to be!” Kakashi protested. “Anyway, I have training... or something to do, see you later.” And he swiftly strolled our the door (there were no windows) leaving Tenzô chuckling to himself again. Kakashi always has been one for abrupt entrances and exits.

————————-

Maito Gai had come to one of the most difficult decisions of his entire life. He had a feeling that a decision of this magnitude could shape the rest of his life and the way he lived it.   
So, should he buy carrots or parsnips? He had run out of curry ingredients again and couldn’t possibly decide which one would compliment his current curry flavours best. He considered asking a friend for help, but he could already predict what most of them would say.  
“Honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t already killed all your taste buds yet, living off your own cooking for so long.”  
Gai jumped, all Ninja reflexes failing him (for no particular reason...), and turned around to grin brightly at his self proclaimed rival. “How dare you insult the beauty that is curry!” He proclaimed. “Rival! I challenge-“  
“Not today, Gai.” Kakashi murmured, tossing the carrots in Gai’s shopping basket and walking past without another glance.   
“Oh come on Rival!” Gai exclaimed in a somewhat desperate attempt to stop him leaving. “Let’s talk, how are things going in the Anbu?”  
“Hmm,” Kakashi acted like he was thinking about it for a while, letting Gai stare at him absentmindedly, before spitting out the same answer he gave every time. “It’s classified.” He said.  
“Oh,” Gai wracked his brains for anything else he could possibly ask or talk about. He hadn’t been staring and acting weird around Kakashi for that long, it had just sort of happened... which was a completely normal thing between platonic friends... and he had just never stopped. Besides, everyone thought he was weird anyway. What was one more stupid abnormality to add to the pile?  
“Gai What do you think about soulmates?” Kakashi asked out of the blue. “I was talking with a subordinate of mine earlier and wanted to know what you think.”  
“Soulmates?” Gai tried to keep his voice steady as his heart beat tripled in speed. “I believe in them.” He said somewhat quieter than usual. “What about you?”  
“I think it’s a load of rubbish really.” Kakashi laughed. “Heck, I don’t even know who my soul mate is, and even if I did I don’t think the whole romance thing is for me.” He picked up a couple of assorted vegetables and threw them into his own basket. “Who is your soulmate Gai?” He asked. “Your watch stopped ages ago, and I can hardly imagine you would let it slip past you,”  
“You know me so well Rival!” Gai laughed. “How about we make it a challenge? Whoever guesses the other persons soulmate first wins.”   
“If we must.” Kakashi sighed. “Although you know that puts me at a distinct disadvantage.”  
“Do you decline my challenge!” Gai asked grinning.   
“I didn’t say that.” Kakashi murmured, “Just preparing my excuse incase I lose.”  
Gai made a somewhat disgruntled noise at his rival’s evident lack of determination and self belief, but said nothing knowing that the challenge was rather unfair to begin with. In fact it was just an excuse, which wasn’t like Gai at all. But for Kakashi he would lie to anyone about anything! Because that was what friends did...  
“Right!” He declared. “It is decided, the challenge begins as of...” he paused for unnecessary dramatic effect. “Now!”   
“Cool, see ya,” Kakashi grins before vanishing again. Probably back to the Anbu Gai thinks with a sigh. Even someone like him can tell between fake smiles and real ones...


	3. Chapter 3

On Kakashi’s twenty fifth birthday, he didn’t celebrate as per usual, and as per usual he spent most of the day hiding from all of his ‘friends’, but instead of sitting at home all day, he did decide to take a short walk while he did all the hiding.   
He scuffed his heels on the dirt track by the river bank, hairs from his brown wig irritating his eyes as he contemplated the world around him. Two girls passed him, a red head and her friend, people he vaguely recognised. He looked over them for a bit, leaning against a tree with his book in his face as they giggled, stripped off and started playing in the river. Yes this was perverted, but they had swim wear on so it wasn’t too bad Kakashi guessed. And no one would be able to recognise him anyway so it didn’t matter if he was. After a while he suddenly recognised them, a little ashamed at his own recall time. They were from his class at the academy, two of the late joiners. He smiled at his little victory, and was about to move on, when completely despite himself and at least half his principals, he glanced down at their watches.   
Both still had numbers on. Slowly counting down. Frowning he turned and walked away in the vague direction of his apartment. He wasn’t disappointed as such, but more treating it like a puzzle. It shouldn’t be possible that neither girl was bonded to him and of the five newcomers that day they were the only females. Except... they might not have been. Struck with his new idea, he raced home to strip himself of his disguise before breaking into the academy staff room, stuffing an actual sock in Iruka’s mouth to keep him quiet, and searching through the records until he found what he was looking for.   
At the top of the list was Gai and the ginger kid who Kakashi had never known or wanted to know, then the girls, then someone he didn’t recognise.   
‘Eri Amana’ the name read. The kid with the hood. A girl. He grinned to himself before letting poor Iruka Sensei free, and taking a quick trip down to the civilian part of town.  
“Hello?” A rather confused, dull brown haired girl asked when he opened the door.   
“Is this the residence of Eri Amana?” He asked her.  
“That hardly seems relevant,” the girl smiled, “because I am her. Although why the infamous Kakashi Hatake is finally taking interest in anyone from our old class but his soulmate I’m afraid I don’t know.”   
He blinked at this for a moment, trying to process what she’d just said, but took one glance at her watch and realised she must be being ironic. “Can we talk somewhere?” He asked her, acting as unruffled as usual.  
“Sure,” she laughed, “come inside.” Following her in, he perched awkwardly on the edge of the couch while she fetched some cookies which he subsequently refused to eat.   
“So?” She asked.  
“Hmm,” He said, “I figured you’d have more to say.”  
“Well we have never spoken before,” she pointed out, “And I’m not really sure why you’re here, so as the saying goes; a little explanation goes a long way.”  
“Wait... you don’t know why I’m here?” He scratched the back of his neck a little nervously. “Well that makes things easier, since I’m not looking for a relationship or anything. I really just came here to clarify and assumed you knew so it seemed only proper to talk about it. But since you aren’t interested at the present moment I shall leave.”  
He stood up and she started to laugh. Then she took a moment to breathe, then laughed some more. Then laughed and laughed and laughed until Kakashi was so alarmed he begged her to stop.  
“You thought....” she breathed out. “Oh you poor idiot!” She laughed again. “Sit down. Let’s talk.” She finally said once she’d calmed down. “I am not your soulmate. You can tell this because I currently think you are an idiotic madman.” She said slowly as if talking to a small child.   
“Great,” he muttered. “So I’m mad then?”  
“What makes you think that?”   
“Well I know I’m bonded to one of you newbies,” he explained. “So if you aren’t my soulmate, and the other two haven’t met theirs yet then who could it be?”   
“So the great Copy Ninja can’t count?” She teased, “amusing...”   
“I was only referring to the girls.” He protested. “Don’t tell me that ginger haired kid is a girl too?!”  
She laughed. “Of course not, in fact he’s my soulmate.” She said with more than a little pride. “So that leaves who I expected was your soulmate all along.” She grinned, and he stared blankly at her. “Well Maito Gai of course! I thought you knew? The two of you were practically inseparable as kids.”  
“Gai... Gai is...”  
“Kakashi,” She said with a serious look in her eye. “Gai is in love with you.”

———————

Maito Gai was in an excellent mood! Or maybe it would be better to put it as a most youthful mood! Everything was going his way for a change, and he couldn’t be happier. In six months time he would have his own team of youthful little genin to look after and bestow wisdom to to his hearts content. And although he shouldn’t pick favourites, a small part of him was holding out for that kid with the eyebrows to be his first student.  
In the meantime he still had a strict training plan to stick to. Everyday started with fifty laps around the village, followed by a hundred punches, a hundred kicks, fifty more laps, and then as many press ups as he could manage in an hour. Now, with the routine done, he took a ten minute break, lying on his back in the middle of the training field, simply watching the world around him, before he returned to his official duties.   
He didn’t much like doing nothing, but lying breathless as the world moved on hardly seemed like nothing to him. It was a reminder of how short life could be, and how much he should value his right to fight for his own success.   
Suddenly a shadow fell over him. “Yo,” it said.  
Gai smiled, “Well met, my Rival!” He greeted rising to his feet. It always shocked him how dull Kakashi’s eyes were. Plain grey, closed off, yet proving somehow that people like Kakashi didn’t need quiet moments to remember the brevity of life.   
“I have a question.” Kakashi stated. “About the rivalry thing.”  
“Kakashi!” Gai exclaimed, eyes brimming with mostly real tears. “I never knew that you cared so much!”   
“Yeah, well...” he trailed off awkwardly. “Anyway, my question.” Gai smiled eagerly at him. “Suppose I won a challenge, am I required to announce the fact that I won if you aren’t aware of it?”  
Gai thought about this for a moment. “Are you telling me that it was you who won that eating contest last month?” He asked. “Because Asuma judged and said I won by half a noodle!” He protested.   
“Asuma was asleep, and I thought that was a tie.” Kakashi replied, pulling a Kunai out of his pocket and spinning it, with considerable skill, between his fingers. “Anyway, I meant more like... well say we had a contest to see who could grow a sunflower ten metres tall the fastest-“  
“What a wonderful idea!” Gai grinned. It was the first time in a while Kakashi had chosen the challenge himself.   
Kakashi sighed. “It was only hypothetical,” he said. “But if that had been a challenge, take note of the word ‘if’, would I be required to tell you that my sunflower had reached the required height and therefore declare my win.”   
“Hmm,” Gai stroked his chin in what he thought was a cunning pose, as he considered it. “Well since it’s only a hypothetical challenge I suppose it doesn’t matter.”   
“Gai!” Kakashi ran a hand through his hair and turned to leave. He mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like “what a waste of time,” and started to trudge back across the training field.  
“Ok! Ok! I’m sorry,” Gai called frantically. “Hippo theptical challenge, I get it.” He nodded vigorously whilst contemplating the idea.  
“I really don’t think you do.” Kakashi deadpanned. But he sat himself back on the grass to await Gai’s judgement on it anyway.   
“Hmm...” honestly Gai wasn’t sure. What did hippotheptical even mean? Well if it was a challenge, he couldn’t imagine why Kakashi would want to hide his win anyway. He was reluctant over the rival thing, Sure, but he had always been motivated enough to want to win.   
“Kakashi are you o-“ Gai started, then shook his head and restarted. “No, I guess if you didn’t want to say you won, you wouldn’t have to. But it means I’ll get the win first!” He teased. “Poor Genius besten by hard work and stupidity alone!”  
Kakashi laughed at him and lay back on the grass. “Thank you.” He whispered.  
“No problem!” Gai yelled, “besides I think I may have done something similar to that once so I guess this makes us even.”  
“You?!” Kakashi looked incredulous. “The great Maito Gai cheat? Never!”  
Gai frowned at this, but corrected himself again. “I’m not as simple as you think.” He murmured happily.   
“No, no you aren’t.”


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto and Sasuke were bickering again. Kakashi had a head ache again. He was beginning to think the two facts were related.   
He almost missed Sakura (who was currently not present due to a rather nasty batch of the flu) who usually acted as the peace keeper in the group due to her impulsively violent response to any and all insults thrown Sasuke’s direction. They were performing a basic training exercise and Thereby he was also bored out of his mind. He lay casually back against a tree and flicked absentmindedly through another copy of ‘Icha icha’, having worn out his last copy a few weeks back.   
He loved the books. Love was so much more passionate, more complex and honestly more hilarious than in real life. The idea of a world where you have no idea who loves you or why sounded comforting. He closed his eye and imagined what life would be like in a novel. He could be that one gay friend who nothing ever happened to. It sounded rather boring actually, but he could always be the comedy asp- Wait gay? Did he just admit that to himself. And boring... well anyone between Konoha to Suna knee who the opposite of boring was...  
“Holy shit!” He whispered too loudly be half.   
“Sensei!” Sasuke whipped his dark head around to glare at his teacher. “I’m aware that you are a pathetic excuse for a professional and Naruto is as insolent as a three year old child, but that is hardly suitable language!” He snapped. Kakashi laughed a little until Sasuke glared at him again, and then sighed.  
“My deepest apologies dearest student.” He inclined his head in a slight bow.   
“No need to empty the sugar box over me.” Sasuke mumbled angrily.  
“I thought I was the favourite student!” Naruto whined. “Senseeeeeiiiiii! Why is Sasuke favouriteeeeee?!”  
It was far too tempting not to make a sharp remark about Naruto’s childish behaviour in conjecture to his question, but in all honesty the Jonin had far more important things racing around his head. Did he? Could he? Was Eri right after all?  
“Sensei? Senseeeeiiii?” Naruto’s childish squeal broke into his train of thought.   
“Right, sorry.” He mumbled getting to his feet and pacing anxiously, but rather excitedly, in circles. “Naruto, you love Sakura right?”  
“Whaaaa??? No!” The blonde boy stuck his tongue out and grimaced at him, flushing bright red.   
“How do you know you love her?” The Sensei asked.  
“Do not, do not, do not.” He protested again.   
“Shut it moron and answer the question.” Sasuke muttered, kicking Naruto with medium strength in the shins. He yelled but replied.  
“Because she’s amazing! And you know... I like being near her... and miss her when she’s not here...”  
A small spark lit behind Kakashi’s eyelids. “And is she your soulmate?”   
“Erm...”  
“Thanks!” Kakashi grinned. “Lesson dismissed.”   
His heart was beating twenty miles an hour as he dashed across the training grounds. Naruto was obviously a poor source of information, but he had made something clear. Soulmates don’t matter. You can love someone no matter when your watches count down, or who your perfect match is supposed to be. Before it had been so easy to convince himself that everything he had ever felt, the reason he had put up with years of rivalric idiocy was because of that stupid watch. But Naruto and Sakura weren’t soulmates. It was guarantee that Sakura would have watched that clock like a hawk, and based on her interactions it was clear that he was not the one. So if that was what love felt like, not all stupid and mushy, then maybe, just maybe he was right.   
He spotted his rival barely five minutes after he left and felt his heart stop.  
——————  
996...  
997...  
998...  
999...  
1000...  
Gai collapsed happily in to the rain soaked grass, only slightly concerned that his spandex would get utterly covered in mud. He mused silently to himself over the best things he could put in the dream curry he’d been planning for years now, but clearly never made as he changed his mind nearly every other week as to the perfect combination. He almost wished Lee were about to discuss his theories with, but unfortunately his poor apprentice was busy youthfully worrying over his flu ridden love. He didn’t know much about love, so struggled to advise his precious student on such matters, but he had once tried to nurse his dear rival back to health and ended up with a Kunai through his carefully prepared bowl of soup and had since dissuaded anyone from trying to help the kranky and sick.   
“Gai!” Someone yelled, well more like breathed, across the field.   
“Ah Rival! He called, I was just thinking about you!” He called back as the silver haired ninja staggered his way towards him. “All good things, all good things! Hey are you ok, you seem out of breath?” He felt slightly puzzled. He’d never seen his rival so out of breath, yet so elated at the same time. He seemed to have a smile plastered to his face, which was both unprecedented and slightly terrifying.   
“I- I’m fine,” He panted. “Actually I just- actually I’m freaking out a little!” He laughed nervously. “How about you just talk and I’ll come up with something decent to say at some point.”  
“Erm... ok?” Gai replied, not a hundred percent sure what he was supposed to say as he had just been randomly approached by Kakashi, an unusual situation, and there was clearly a reason for this encounter that Gai really had not a chance of working out.  
“You know what, never mind.” Kakashi interjected. “Gai, your watch stopped on your first day of school didn’t it?”  
“Yes...” he said rather slowly. “Why?”  
“Isittrueyoureinlovewithme?” He breathed out all at once. To most people that would have been almost unintelligible. But to Gai who spoke that fast, and faster on a regular basis it was easy. He sat there in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity. Love... Kakashi?  
“God dammit Gai say something at least!”  
“I don’t know...” he murmured. His father had never spoken much about love, other than that his parents had been deeply in love with one another. “What does that even mean?”  
“I can’t explain it.” Kakashi laughed slightly, but still with that nervous edge to his voice. “Gai do you think...” he trailed off awkwardly and Gai tried to respect his privacy by staring at the floor instead of reading his face like an open book. “I think I love you, Gai.” He murmured before pressing a light kiss to his cheek. “But I don’t mind if you have other ideas. As long as we’re still rivals!” He laughed and stepped away gingerly.   
Gai chuckled calmly. “Always Rivals!” He declared happily and Kakashi grinned. “But if you don’t mind awfully, I think I’d like to say I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that’s it... like it??? I could add another chapter if people wanted...


End file.
